Twelve Days of Christmas with the BPS Foundation

Christmas is coming, 2018 isn’t far away, and it’s been a big year for the Battersea Power Station Foundation. In June the Foundation celebrated its first year of awarding grants to benefit the communities surrounding the Power Station, and since then much more has been done. Up to the end of September 2017, more than £4.7m has been granted to local organisations working to make life better in Lambeth and Wandsworth.

With the 12 Days of Christmas now not far away, we’ve decided to mark the festive season by listing 12 of our favourite occasions and grants awarded to neighbourhood good causes during the past year: one for each of the Days of Christmas.

A Partridge in a better maintained Pear Tree: £1,495 for community garden maintenance

Cottington Community Garden

The Foundation awarded £1,495 towards developing a network of skilled volunteers to look after the community garden area.

2 Turtle Doves: £5,000 to help young people show love, friendship and devotion

SENTalk

The Foundation’s Spring Fund has awarded £5,000 towards a Support worker to deliver training to local volunteers as SEN advisors. The Foundation has also delivered £10,000 via the Evolve Fund towards the research and development of a social impact bond. This will incentivise activities aimed at building skills, resilience and techniques for avoiding anti-social behaviour and prison. This will include expansion of the Lego Social Skills Group.

3 French Hens, or maybe 336 French Hens: £1,750 for consultation project We Are 336

We are 336

The Foundation awarded £1,750 to fund a consultation and research project aimed at developing different models of co-operation for disability and care charities to work together for their advantage and those of their beneficiaries.

4 Calling Birds: £5,000 to help the choir sing

Pegasus

£5,000 of Foundation funding will go to the Pegasus International Community Choir, working with disadvantaged local communities. Specifically this will help to fund the salary of the Outreach Choirmaster.

Commons CIC is a charitable law firm embedded in the local community of Lambeth – an actual and virtual community hub for people affected by mental ill health and trauma who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system and in need of criminal legal advice or representation. The Foundation’s £5,000 funding will enable the development of core projects for this new organisation so that it can best provide legal advice and support to vulnerable people.

Commons CIC participated in the Battersea Power Station Heads Together Campaign.

6 geese a-laying: A brilliant fair helping charities meet the golden goose to fund their work

The Lambeth Funders Fair at The Kia Oval

The Battersea Power Station Foundation joined many other other funders and social investors at the Lambeth Funders Fair. Attendees included the Big Lottery Fund, City Bridge Trust, Trust for London, London Community Foundation, Guys & St Thomas Charity, Hyde Foundation, London Catalyst, United St Saviours Charity, Charity Bank and Big Society Capital.

The funders had the opportunity to meet many local charities, community groups and social enterprises, facilitating the work of the Third Sector in and around Lambeth.

The Battersea Arts Centre continues to guide the Foundation’s investment of £305,400 over three years in an arts-based portfolio of community initiatives supporting local community organisations. This also supports free membership for start-ups in the Scratch Hub which is being built underneath the Arts Centre’s Grand Hall.

The Foundation reached out to local charitable organisations from Lambeth and Wandsworth. Some 35 different groups signed up for individual half hour slots to discuss potential projects for funding by the Foundation’s Spring Fund. In Wandsworth, the surgeries were hosted by Wandsworth Care Alliance; in Lambeth by We Are 336.

9 Ladies Dancing, and maybe some gentlemen too: £250,000 to fight loneliness among old people

The Furzedown Project

The Furzedown Project is an activity centre for older people aged 60+ located within the community of Furzedown in Wandsworth. It aims to prevent social isolation among older people and help to improve the health, well-being and independence of its members. The Foundation granted £250,000 targeted at core costs and the long-term viability of the Outreach Services programme, aimed at older people who are most at risk of experiencing social isolation, loneliness and the accelerated decline that accompanies it.

10 Lords a-Leaping: £22,000 to help young people get into sport and off the streets

The Battersea Summer Scheme

The Foundation awarded £22,000 towards the 2017 Sport in the Park project to help celebrate the first anniversary of Battersea Power Station Foundation. The award was made in recognition of the importance of giving young people the opportunity to try out new sports and activities to keep them occupied, entertained, off the streets and away from the dangers therein.

11 Pipers Piping: £5,000 to help kids get where they’re going

KIDS Travel

The Foundation has assigned the sum of £5,000 towards transport costs for disabled children and young people from disadvantaged families so that they can more easily travel to and from the KIDS Lady Allen Adventure Playground in Wandsworth.

12 drummers drumming: £5,000 for an inclusive band working to improve the image of disabled people

Spare Tyre and the Heathbrook Street Band

The Foundation awarded £5,000 towards creating the Heathbrook Street Band, a community arts project. The Spare Tyre Inclusive Band (featuring adults with learning disabilities) worked with the Heathbrook School to create the band, which includes adults with learning disabilities, children, parents, teachers and families from the school. It offers a more positive image of disabled people.

As an added benefit, the band’s instruments are all made out of recycled materials, which helps to promote re-use and recycling and benefits the environment.